A sermon preached at the christening of a certain Jew at LondonA sermon preached at the christening of a certaine Iew at London

In your miserable & continual calamity, in your manifold bondage & captivity that you have endured first under the Egyptians, then under the Assyrians, next under the Syrians, & lastly under king Herod the stranger, you have hitherto felt the smart of Gods justice. But now it hath pleased the Lord to alter his determination conceived against you, not to whet the edge of his rigorous vengeance any more to your destruction, not to deliver you as vassals & bondslaves to your enemies, but interchanging mercy for wrath, to embrace you with all lenity, & make an end of your sorrows & warfare: so that from henceforth you shall not need to fear any more invasion of cruel enemies, any leading away ⟨image 53⟩into direful captivity, any dreadful punishment of your heinous impiety. For the time shall come, when the Lord will no more reward your iniquities with horrible scourges and plagues, but of his inestimable clemency shall couch you within the blessed bowels of his bottomless mercy. And if you be desirous to know the time wherein these glad tidings shall be performed amongst you, take this for a sign and token, whereby you may discern the time, whereof I do foretell you.¹ A voice shall be heard crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a path for your God. Every valley shall be exalted, & every mountain and hill shall be made low. &c. And the voice proceeding yet forward, and demanding what he should cry: Say unto the cities of Judah (saith he) Behold your God, behold the Lord God will come with power, and his arm shall rule for him, and his reward is with him. &c. When the sound of this trump out of the huge desert wilderness shall pierce into your ears and be seen with your eyes, this shall be a sign for you to know, that he is not far from the gates, that shall redeem you from your captivity.

In your miserable & cōtinual calamitie, in your manifold bondage & captiuitie yt you haue endured first vnder ye Egyptians, then vnder the Assyrians, next vnder the Syrians, & lastly vnder king Herode the stranger, you haue hitherto felt ye smart of Gods iustice. But now it hath pleased ye Lorde to alter his determinatiō cō ceiued against you, not to whet ye edge of his rigorous vēgeāce any more to your destruction, not to deliuer you as vassals & bōdslaues to your enemies, but enterchāging mercy for wrath, to imbrace you wt al lenitie, & make an ende of your sorowes & warfare: so that frō hēceforth you shal not need to feare any more inuasion of cruell enemies, any leading away